1911 Encyclopædia Britannica/Stromness

STROMNESS, a police burgh and seaport, in the island of Pomona, county of Orkney, Scotland. Pop. (1901), 2450. It is situated on the side of a well-sheltered bay, 14 m. by steamer west of Kirkwall. Many of the houses are within tidal limits and furnished with quays and jetties. The harbour admits vessels of all sizes and is provided with a pier and slips. The deep-sea fishery attracts hundreds of boats from the north of Scotland, and most of the catch is cured for the English, German and Dutch markets. Stromness is in daily communication with Scrabster pier (Thurso), and at frequent intervals with Kirkwall by coach and also by steamer. It is a port of call for ships trading with the north of Europe as well as for vessels outward bound to the Arctic regions, Hudson Bay and Canada. The magnificent scenery of the west coast of Pomona is commonly visited from Stromness. The tour includes Black Craig (400 ft.), on which the schooner " Star of Dundee " was wrecked in 1834; the grand stacks of North Gaulton Castle and Yesnaby Castle ; the Hole of Row, a natural arch carved out by the ocean; Birsay, where are the ruins of the palace built by Robert Stewart, earl of Orkney (d. 1592), natural son of James V., the traces of a church which is believed to have been built by Jarl Thorfinn on his return from Rome, in which the remains of St Magnus reposed until their burial in Kirkwall Cathedral, and, on the Broch of Birsay (95 ft. high), the ruins of St Peter’s church.